Rianna and the Swallow Prince
by Surf-merGirl1963
Summary: The classic tale of Thumbelina re-told! Rianna lives a miserable life with an overbearing mother and a career she doesn't even want; but when her mother crosses paths with an old magic-happy wizard, Rianna's own life becomes the center of a feud and she soon finds herself several sizes smaller, afraid, unwanted, and miles from home.
1. Chapter 1

**_Author's Note:_**

This is a long, unfinished, re-vamped version of Thumbelina that I wrote a couple of years ago just for the fun of it. I am posting it now not because I think it's incredibly well-written, but because I think it is an amusing story that will surely entertain. It is already several parts long and I will be updating it periodically, but be forewarned that this story is also written in present tense, which is a new/odd style for me, so it may read a bit unusually. Thank you and I hope you will enjoy it! :)

* * *

**_Chapter One_**

"Rianna, hold still." Mother pulls a comb through my long dark locks as I sit at the vanity in our traveling abode. "You can't expect me to get all the tangles out if you squirm all the time!"

"But it hurts, mama." I complain, cringing at each stroke.

"One must be willing to suffer for beauty." She tells me again. "It's for your own good. No one would pay to see an ugly girl dance to the fiddle."

I quiet then, but only because she expects it.

My name is Rianna and this is my mother. She is not a terrible person, though she's not a wonderful mother. We do a traveling show together and I dance for it. Oftentimes I wonder what she would be like if there was no money and if there was no me or show or carriage and horses to be controlled. Would she still be the same? I glance at her in the mirror and wonder. I always wonder.

"There." She finally puts down the comb and begins to twist my hair into a knot. "Beautiful." She adorns the bun with my sea pearl wreath and then tells me to look in the mirror.

It's the same old face I see day after day: Dark hair, green eyes, pale face, rosy lips, accented by a dusting of dark and sparkling makeup.

"The citizens of Amon will be pleased." She smiles at my reflection and I rise from my chair. "Come, let us emerge grandly and get ready to dance to some fast music. I've been rehearsing a new song. It is sure to bring in plenty of revenue, providing you do your part."

I nod uninterestedly, and wait for my mother to retrieve her violin before exiting the wagon. There is hardly a crowd and I stand by the cart, feeling nervous like I always do.

"Good evening, ladies and gentlemen!" Mother greets the few paupers who gathered. "My name is Meredith and this is Rianna," She motions to me and I curtsy, as it is expected. "We will be performing for you tonight. Please, enjoy yourselves!"

She sets out her violin case and then begins to fiddle.

I start out slowly and pick up with the music, arms swaying, feet moving across the cobblestones in quickening steps. I take this time to survey the audience as a crowd begins to form. I instantly spot an unfriendly face in the mob. His mustache is gray and crooked and his small black eyes watch my graceful body as I sway to the music.

He is frowning and continues to as I skip. His gaze is unwavering and it makes me feel uneasy. I try to close my eyes for a moment to erase him from my mind, but as soon as I open my eyes again, he is there: cruel, dark and ominous, standing out against the cheering crowd. I turn towards my mother.

"Bravo! Bravo!" Cheer the happy voices of my audience. I skip and twirl, never enjoying myself, concentrating heavily, knowing that mistakes are not permitted in my mother's watchful eye. I rise to my toes and twirl on the ruby slippers just as the song ends. I curtsy as coins fill the empty violin case.

"Thank you, thank you!" Meredith cries out to the mob as they disperse and soon no one remains. She turns to me and frowns. "Inside the wagon. We'll get you out of your costume and then it's off to the next town."

It was the usual ritual. I am dressed, I perform, and then I am stripped and strapped into my traveling clothes. I much prefer the cotton shirt and skirt anyhow as it is much friendlier to my skin. Cotton is cool and flowy in the hot sun and I needn't worry of becoming overheated.

I step behind the screen in the wagon and allow Meredith to unzip my costume. As I am finally pulling on my cotton shirt, a knock comes at the wagon door. Meredith looks to me and I shrug, instantly pulling on my skirt and sash. As I go to the washbasin to remove the makeup, she goes to the door and opens it.

"Hello?"

"Miss Rianna?" It is a man's voice I hear: quiet and guttural. I scrub at my face trying not to think about it.

Mother's tone is cold. "She's inside. What do you want?"

"To speak with you… both."

And to my surprise, Mother lets him in.

I remove the towel from my face just as he enters and gasp. It is he! It is the man with the dark, cruel eyes and the crooked mustache. He smiles at me and stops to bow politely. "Miss Rianna?"

I look to mother for direction and she shrugs. "Yes?" I say the first word that come to my mind.

"Please, may we all sit down?"

"Of course."

I slip on my traveling shoes as mother leads him to our table. He sits in a chair and I soon join him as Meredith brings cold coffee.

He thanks her for the refreshments and then looks at me for a long time. I suspect that he is studying me, though, what he is searching for I haven't a clue.

"How long have you been performing?" He asks me and Meredith answers.

"Not too long."

I wonder why she lies.

The man frowns. "I didn't ask you, I was asking the girl."

He looks to me again and I answer quite truthfully. "Since I was five."

"And you are how old now?"

"Fourteen." Says Meredith.

"Seventeen." I correct her. Meredith has lied again and I wonder why. Does she see something of this man that I do not?

"Do you enjoy dancing?"

"No."

"Yes." Meredith lies once more.

The man frowns at her and says sharply. "Let the girl answer."

Meredith quiets.

"Now," He looks back to me, "If you do not like dancing, why do you do it?"

"It is our living. It's the only way we can make money."

He looks to Meredith as if knowing she is the one who fed me those words. "What happens to the revenue?"

"I use it on us. For Rianna's costumes and for necessities like food and water; for us and the animals."

"Where does the rest of it go?"

"There isn't any more."

He doesn't believe her and I wonder how he knows she is lying. She has been, of course, for I know that she buys jewelry with the rest of the money and a new costume for me comes only twice a year.

He looks to me then, and as if knowing, he asks me of my health.

"Are you well?"

"Well, sir?"

"She beats you."

"No!" Insists Meredith.

I do not answer. What is to be gained by the ugly truth? I don't want to lie so I sit silently. He cannot make me speak.

He turns to Meredith. "Are you this girl's mother?"

"Yes."

"You bore her, she is your own?" He takes my hand lying on the table and I feel a sharp prick of his thumbnail on my palm. I bite my lower lip and pull back.

Meredith answers uneasily. "Y-Yes." She didn't notice the exchange.

_No._ I think. _You found me. I am not your own. You adopted me._

The man knows the truth. "You treat this girl unfairly and she isn't even your own."

But Meredith is insistent. "She is my own and I treat her well."

Yes. She treats me well enough. I am not happy, but I am alive. Isn't that what counts most? "Please, w-who are you?" I ask the question that has been burning inside me for a while.

"A friend." He tells me and then glares at Meredith. "You'd better treat your daughter better, or you will be sorry."

I wonder what he means by that, but say nothing.

Meredith leads him to the door and sees him out. She turns to me just as I am removing the pearl wreath from my hair.

"You wretched, wretched girl!" She calls me and glares.

"I am sorry, mama. But I must tell the truth." Yes. I must always tell the truth. Lying never got me anywhere.

"Not if I tell you not to."

"I shant lie, mama." I am insistent, but so is Meredith.

"I don't know who that man was, but he had no right asking those questions." She goes to the hook in the far corner for her belt. I know what is coming before she gives the next command. "And you shouldn't have answered him."

"But, mama. You answered him."

"You should have kept quiet." Her anger is burning now and it is a fierce, hot, anger. She unties the back of my cotton traveling-shirt and tells me to get to my knees. I obey and she hits me three times.

I remind myself never to argue again.

…

That night I lay alone in my bed, stretched out on my stomach. My back still stings from the lashes, but I try to ignore it. I was wrong to have questioned Meredith. She knows what is best for me. I sigh and lay awake for the longest time. It is here I remember the sharp prick on my palm.

I hastily light a lamp and look at my left hand. A small purple bruise remains, the shape of a heart. I am puzzled and look closer. How did this happen?

Meredith's voice comes from the other side of the wagon. "Rianna? Is that you? Turn out that light!"

I do as I am commanded. I do not want to be punished again. I curl up on my cot and close my eyes, pressing the palm of my hand to my heart. I remind myself to look at it again, come morning, to see then what it is all about.


	2. Chapter 2

**_Chapter Two_**

When I awake the following morning, all is still and nothing looks familiar. Actually, something_ does_ look familiar. Everything looks familiar but very very large. I try not to scream. I do not want to wake Meredith. I am little. I have shrunk during the night and so did my nightclothes.

I hastily look to my palm. The heart bruise is gone. I shutter. What has happened to me?

"Rianna?" Meredith peeks behind the curtain and into my quarters. "Rianna?" Her voice takes on a hysterical edge when she doesn't see me.

I call out to her. "Over here, Mama." I wave my little arms over my head.

She gasps and comes to me quickly, picking me up. I am about the size of her thumb. I notice this quickly and it upsets me deeply. "Rianna?" She looks at me in shock and for some reason, I start to cry.

"I don't know what happened to me, Mama. Please. Turn me back."

But she doesn't know how and tells me so. "We shall ride back to Amon and seek help," she tells me and brings me into the main room to sit on the vanity. "Stay here and don't go anywhere."

I nod and walk to the mirror. I look at my small self. What has happened?

The wagon soon begins to move and I grab hold of a bottle of perfume to steady me. I am worried about my size and hope that I can somehow turn back. I hold tightly to the perfume until we return to the town from which we came.

I watch out a window as mother asks about a witch or wizard there. The man tells her of a wizard and gives us directions to the place. We arrive at his house moments later. Mother comes for me and scoops me up in her hand. She ties a handkerchief on me to use as a hooded cape to shield me from the morning chill.

We enter the small shop and Mother calls for the wizard.

"Just a minute." A voice comes from the back of the shop. I recognize the voice but cannot place it.

Soon a dark, cruel-looking man emerges from the back room. I gasp. It is our visitor of yesterday. When he sees Meredith, he smiles. "Aw, Miss Meredith." He nods in recognition. "I presume you want me to turn you daughter back?"

Meredith's eyes narrow. "What have you done to her?"

"Isn't it obvious? I've shrunk her down. At this size you can no longer make her dance against her will. She is no longer within your rule."

I wonder what he means.

"I want you to turn her back!" demands Meredith.

"I can't."

"You _what_?"

"I can't and I won't. You see the spell can only be broken by Rianna herself."

"How is that?" She looks to me.

"I won't tell you."

I am troubled and I start to cry again.

The man's features soften and he takes me from my mother and strokes my little head. "There, there, little one," he says gently. "These things aren't permanent."

But I don't want it so I cry even more.

"See what you have done?" Meredith shrieks. "You have ruined her career! _Now_ she is unhappy!"

The wizard frowns at her. "She has been unhappy. There was no glow to her eyes when she danced and there was no happiness in her answers. It is better this way. Both of you will soon see."

"What am I supposed to do with her? She is too tiny to perform!"

The wizard nods. "So you perform alone. Rianna deserves a break." He sets me on a table and assesses my wardrobe. I am embarrassed seeing as I am only in my nightgown. "Perhaps you'd like a dress?" he asks me.

I say nothing and continue to cry. No, I don't need a dress. I need my size back.

He goes over to a drawer anyways and removes a miniature outfit. He hands the garments to my mother. "Here."

"What is this?"

"A dress and some shoes for your daughter. She needn't suffer any more than she already has. A girl needs clothes."

"No daughter of mine will wear these rags!" declares Meredith and she hands the clothing back to the wizard. "Keep it! Keep it all!" She turns to me then and frowns. I have never seen her look at me that way before.

"Hush up, child." She demands me and I obey, holding back my sobs, trembling

The wizard takes notice. "Lower your voice, Meredith. You are frightening the child."

"I can speak to her in any way I wish," she snaps and picks me up hastily. She heads for the door. "Now, thanks to you I shall soon be poor. I hope you are happy."

"This isn't about me at all," insists the wizard.

Meredith scoffs, "Could have fooled me!" We exit the wizard's shop and re-enter the wagon. Meredith sets me on the vanity and begins pacing.

"What shall we do, Mama?"

She silences me with an icy stare. "Hush up, Rianna! I am trying to think."

I quiet and sit. I look at my small toes and fingers. _I am too small._ I tell myself. _Mother is not happy with me. _

"I've got it!"

I look up to Mother as a grin comes to her face.

"Mama?"

She ignores me and goes over to a shelf where we keep a stash of extra buttons and sequins for my costumes. She dumps the buttons out of their jar and then goes over to a table. I wonder what she is doing.

"I'll show that wizard for trying to ruin me." She mumbles. "He may be happy with this arrangement but I'm not." She pokes holes in the top of the jar with an old nail. I am fearful.

"Rianna?" Finally she turns to me and approaches.

I take a step back. Somehow I know what she is going to do. "No, no, Mama. Don't put me in that jar…"

She grabs me and thrusts me inside the glass-walled prison. I fall to my knees and look out at her face.

"That wizard may want a little person, but I do not. You are no use to me anymore, Rianna."

She sets my jar on the vanity and then exits the room. "I will see you later tonight."

I bury my face in my hands and then cry myself to sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three**_

When I awake, I am still in the jar and I do not recognize my surroundings. "Mama?" I call out into the lonely darkness. I can hardly see anything beyond the jar. All is black. It is night.

I sit on the jar floor and pull my knees to my chest. I hear a noise and I look out as my eyes adjust to the darkness. Something moves to my left. I turn. A large toad peers in at me through the glass. She croaks. I jump.

"Hello." She says to me, her deep voice muffled through the glass wall.

I slowly rise to my feet and stare at her, though I know it is rude. "W-Who are you?"

"My name is Penelope. And you are?"

"Rianna," I tell her. For some reason I am not afraid to talk with a toad, though I know very well that toads should not be talking.

"And what are you doing in a jar, Rianna?" she asks me.

"My mother put me in here." I reply, finding it comforting to have someone to talk to.

She gasps, "Your mother? Your mother put you in that jar?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"I cannot believe it! I would never dream of doing such a thing to my son, Rudolph," she croaks objectionably and shakes her head.

"Please," I say to her. "Where am I?"

"Currently, you are in a jar."

I guess that was her ill attempt at humor. "But _where_ is my jar?"

"On a windowsill."

"Who's?"

"The old wizard's. Did your mother put you here?"

I sigh, sadly, "She must have."

"Oh, come now. Don't fret," she tells me and I look up I her. "I'll tell you what. I'll see if I can get you out of that jar."

"Would you?" I ask. "Oh, if you would, I would be ever so grateful!"

"Just give me a few minutes to think how to go about it," she tells me and then sits near my jar to ponder.

I ponder too. How will she open the jar? Why did mother abandon me? Will I ever get home? Will I ever be my normal size again?

"I've got it!" she croaks suddenly, and I jump in surprise.

"You do?" I rush to the side of my jar and press my hands against the glass. "How will you do it?"

"I am going to push your jar over and break the glass!"

I jump back, frightened. "Oh, no! No, Penelope! That is no good! I shall surely be killed!"

She looks at me for a long while. "How will that be?"

"When you break the glass, it shall break all around me. I shall surely be cut to pieces!"

She nods her head. "Alright. Then I'll have to find something to open the lid with, or maybe just break one of the sides." She turns to leave. "Stay put. I'll be back soon."

I watch her go, thinking that it was foolish of her to tell me to stay put. I cannot go anywhere. I sigh and sit on the floor of my jar again. The glass is cold to the touch and I notice that it is a chilly night. I rub my arms to warm them and wrap the skirt of my nightgown around my legs.

"Please, hurry back, Penelope," I whisper as I look down at my feet. I sigh again and then begin to sing. The song keeps me company and I begin to relax:

"_Like a flower in the ground; I wait, I wait._

_Only hoping to be found; I wait, I wait._

_Like a fledgling taking wing; I wait, I wait._

_For the promise of the spring; I wait, I wait."_

I stop singing suddenly, as a bright light appears behind me. I twirl around and find myself looking in a window. I see the wizard inside. He is looking at me in shock. Soon he comes out and over to my jar.

"Rianna?" He picks it up and looks at me.

I say to him, "Please, will you take me out of this jar?"

"Where is your mother?"

"She has left me."

He looks on me with pity. "Come, I shall take you inside to thaw out."

He takes my glass jar into his house and sets it on the table closest to the fireplace. He then opens the lid and gently lays my prison on its side. Slowly I emerge and he goes to make a fire in the hearth.

"I don't mean to be a bother," I tell him quite honestly.

"It's no bother, really. I enjoy guests." He fusses with the logs and soon lights them. The fire is warm and inviting. "There." He straightens and then looks to me. "Now, how about something to eat?"

I realize that I am hungry, so I nod eagerly. "Yes, please."

He smiles at me and goes to a cupboard. He opens a door and removes an old cigar box. From it he removes two spools of thread. "Here we are." He sets the spools in front of me. "A chair and a table."

"Thank you." I sit on the smaller of the spools. It isn't especially comfortable, but it is a seat just the same.

"Oh my, and that reminds me!" He hastily goes to a drawer I know well and removes a small dress and sash. "Here. Perhaps you'd like to change into these?"

I take the garments. "Where, sir?" I ask, not believing that a kind man like himself would expect me to change out in the open.

He picks me up and carries me to a cupboard. He lets me step inside and then closes the door most of the way. "How is that?"

I thank him and then shed my nightgown by the thin ribbon of light from the fireplace. I pull on the dress and the sash and then knock on the door. He comes to fetch me and sets me back on the table with the bobbins.

"Stay here. I'll go make you something warm to eat."

I nod appreciatively and sit again on my 'chair'. I stare at the fire and hum my song quietly.

I hear a sound and look to the window. I see Penelope waving at me and I wave back. She shakes her head and motions to me, she wants me to come to the window. I shake my head: I couldn't possibly make it there on my own. She nods and disappears from view. I think she is gone, but then she appears at my side.

"How did you get in here?" she croaks. She seems cross.

"The wizard found me," I tell her and her frown deepens.

"You are now free from the jar, I see?"

"Yes." I nod.

"Well, then that is good. Do you plan on staying here?"

"I do not know of my plans," I say, for it is the truth. I do not know where I should go. I want to go back to my mother but am sure she won't take me.

She nods and her film-covered eyes wander up my tiny frame. "You're wearing a new dress." She is very observant.

"The wizard gave it to me."

"I see." I am unsure if she approves or not.

"He is now getting me something to eat. Perhaps you would like to stay?"

"No!" She says instantly and then adds more quietly. "I mean, no thank you. I don't think I would like what he is serving."

"I am sure he could get you something else. He is a very kind man. It wouldn't be a bother."

"No… thank you." But she doesn't leave, so I question her more.

"You seem afraid. Why is this?"

Penelope looks at me, "Wizards are not kind to toads," she tells me. "They use them in their spells."

"Oh, but I'm sure _this_ wizard would not harm you. He is very kind and you are my friend."

She seems comforted by my comment. "I am your friend, you say?"

"Yes." I nod.

"Then why stay here? Why don't you come home with me? I am a lonely old toad. I would much enjoy the company of a friend."

But I am skeptical. I do not like the idea of living in a swamp. "I am not sure."

"Here we are." It is the wizard. He is returning.

"Think about it." Penelope tells me hastily and turns to leave. "I shall come back tomorrow and then you may give me your answer."

I nod and watch her leave. "Goodbye, Penelope."

She is gone before I finish my sentence and then the wizard arrives with a thimbleful of soup. "I am afraid that I'm fresh out of small silverware." He comments lightly, setting the makeshift bowl on the larger spool. "I hope you have nothing against slurping?"

I shake my head firmly. "No. This is fine. Thank you. You're very kind."

He watches as I return to my 'table' so that I may enjoy the soup. He waits until I finish my prayers before he speaks again. "You were talking with someone earlier," he says.

"Yes." I nod, unfolding my hands.

"Who was it?"

I take a sip of the soup, trying to avoid answering his question. "This is very delicious."

"Rianna…" His tone holds warning.

I look to him.

"Whom were you talking to?"

I don't see that it is any of his business and I feel the need to protect Penelope. "A friend."

"I didn't realize you had any friends."

I find that rude of him to say. "Well, I have… one."

He opens his mouth to respond, but I interrupt him.

"And first thing tomorrow, she is going to come and pick me up and I shall live with her till I am big again."

He looks like he is about to protest, but then he just sighs and says, "As you wish."

I feel most pleased with myself, though I am unsure about bog life. I am happy that I have finally made a decision on my own. Living with Penelope? I am sure I will soon grow used to it.

I finish my soup without another word and I soon notice that the wizard must be cross with me. I feel ashamed for having taken advantage of his hospitality and then upsetting him. I walk to his side of the table to return the thimble. "Perhaps I should go?"

"Go? Now? In the middle of the night? Where would you go?" His voice is gentle and it soothes me.

"I am not sure. But I don't want to take advantage of you hospitality. I have upset you and I am sorry for that, but you made me mad."

He sighs then and looks to me. "I suppose I sort of lost my temper too. You are right. It is no business of mine who you talk to. I was just fearing for your safety."

I nod.

"Anyways," he continues, "I must insist that you stay here for the night. In fact, you may stay until your friend comes to fetch you in the morning."

"Thank you," I say. "That is very kind. But-"

He looks to me, waiting for me to continue.

"Where will I sleep?"

"I shall make you a suitable bed." He tells me and stands to go back to the cupboard. He removes a small box and some cotton. He sets them on the table and then goes to a back room. When he returns, he has with him several handkerchiefs. He soon fashions me a bed made with the items.

"Well?" He says when he is done. "Why don't you try it out?"

I timidly approach the 'bed' and step on the soft mattress. I sink in most instantly and snuggle down beneath the covers, stretching my body across the 'mattress'. "This'll do quite nicely," I tell him. "Thank you."

He smiles at me and then goes to extinguish the fire. "Well, if it's all the same to you. I think I shall now go to sleep as well."

I nod. "Goodnight."

He comes back to the table and smiles down at me. "When will your friend be picking you up tomorrow?"

I think back to what Penelope said. "I am unsure. She didn't specify a time."

He quiets. "Are you sure you want to go? You are welcome to stay here."

I don't know what to say to this. I don't especially want to live in a swamp, but figure I don't have a choice. I can't change my mind now, even if I had acted out of anger. "Yes. Don't worry. She is very kind to me and when I am big again, I shall probably come back to visit."

He is not satisfied, but he doesn't comment.

"Goodnight." I call to his retreating figure as he heads for his bedroom with the lantern. Soon he is gone and with him, the light.

I stare at the ceiling for several moments, though I cannot see it, and think of Mother. "Why did you leave me?" I whisper and then sigh knowing very well why she had. She had never loved me. I was her work, nothing else. As a small human, I was no longer any use to her so I was disposed of, abandoned. After all, that is what someone becomes if they are never loved: disposable.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four**

When I awake the next morning, Penelope is there. "Good morning." I say to her and she turns to me, smiling.

"Good morning."

"How are you-" I gasp, taking notice of my surroundings. I am no longer in the wizard's house. I am now in the swamp, floating on a lily pad in the middle of the pond. "Where? What? Where am I?"

"At my home," says Penelope.

"But how- you didn't know what I chose."

Penelope only smiles.

"You brought me here, didn't you?"

She nods. "Just as soon as you fell asleep, I carried you here."

"But why?"

Penelope's smile fades. "Because… I couldn't take no for an answer."

I watch her as she swims circles around my lily pad. She seems sad, but only a little bit.

"Well," I say, for I am not mad, just a little annoyed, "You are lucky that I wanted to come and stay with you, or else, I would call this nothing short of a kidnapping."

"You mean…" Penelope rests her elbows on the lily pad. "You wanted to come here?"

I nod.

"Wonderful!" She suddenly leaps up in the air. "Wait until you meet, Rudolph! He will be so pleased!"

"Rudolph?" I am puzzled by her sudden happiness, having forgotten.

"Yes, my son. Wait until you meet him!"

"But I thought you lived alone?"

"Oh, it's very much like living alone when you live with Rudolph. After the wedding, we shall have eachother to keep us company."

"Wedding?"

"Yes, you shall marry Rudolph."

"But, I didn't agree to that!" I am greatly troubled and soon find myself wishing I were back at the wizard's house. Marry a toad? I don't want that at all.

"Oh, but you must marry Rudolph," Penelope is insistent, but I refuse.

"I cannot marry your son."

She frowns at me, "Don't make up your mind just yet. Wait until you meet him. He is a very handsome toad. Stay here." She turns then and swims away from me. I watch her disappear from view.

I sigh and sit in the center of the lily pad. Not at all happy, I decide I want to run away but am not sure where I want to run off to. I stand and look around me. I decide to swim to shore and think there. I don't wish to meet Rudolph and the farther away I get from him, I think, the better.

I timidly test the water with my bare toes before deciding that it is suitable to swim in. I then ease myself in. There is a bit of a chill to the water, but it isn't so bad. I begin to swim towards the reeds, but then find that the current is stronger then I anticipated and it pulls me away from the shore and the lilies. I cry for help but nobody hears my cry because no one is near. I struggle in the water, fighting the current until I am too tired.

I am too small and I loose the fight to the pond, which soon turns into a stream and then a river. I lie quietly as the water rushes around me and wait for the end. Death is welcomed, for I no longer have value.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter Five

When I awake I am alone. I hear the sound of gurgling water as I gaze up at the lofty branches of nearby lemon trees and weeping willows. The ground I lay on is soft and mossy. I cough and water spills from my gaping mouth.

"Where am I?" I speak my words aloud and shiver as I flip over onto my stomach. I look around me. I see more trees: orange and lemon. More weeping willows grow nearby and a variety of shrubs and plants. I seem to be in some sort of forest; some beautiful and magical place. "Am I in… heaven?"

My words catch in my throat as I watch a butterfly pass. I slowly rise to my feet and look behind me. I gasp as I gaze over a massive lake. The water looks almost gold in the flickering sunlight. I take a step back, awed.

"Good morning."

I turn. It is the butterfly. She has returned.

"Hello," I say, no longer finding it strange that I can talk with animals.

"Beautiful day, isn't it?"

I nod my head though I am not sure if I totally agree. It _is_ a beautiful lake and a beautiful forest, but a beautiful day? I sigh.

"What is your name?" she asks and lands on the shore beside me.

"Rianna. And yours?"

"Flora."

"It is nice to meet you."

"Likewise."

I find myself instantly liking the butterfly. She is kind and polite, not at all like Penelope.

"What brings you to Nomel Lake?"

"Nomel? Is that where I am?"

She nods. "Yes."

I then answer her question, "I actually do not know what I am doing here. You see, I was carried from a pond by the river and I am not exactly sure how far it is I have traveled."

She nods again. "Well, if you are planning to stay, I think you will like it here very much. The neighbors are friendly and there are so many nice places to build a house."

I consider her offer very carefully. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." She smiles at me and then takes off. "I hope to see you around. Goodbye, Rianna."

"Goodbye, Flora." I watch as she flies off and then begin to walk along the lake's edge. It is a very pretty place and I begin to think that perhaps I wouldn't mind living there. At least, until I am big again.

I stop at the base of an orange tree to catch my breath. My stomach growls and I remember that I haven't eaten since the soup the wizard gave me the night before. I am very hungry. I look up at the tree and see the ripe fruit in the leaves. I turn to the trunk. Perhaps I can climb up there and get myself a fruit?

I grab hold of the bark and find that it is not climbable. There is no suitable place on which I can hold on. I am disappointed. I look around for something else.

"Good day." As I am walking towards the bushes a beetle flies down and stands beside me. I turn to him and he grins. "To whom do I owe the pleasure?"

"Rianna," I say my name quietly, not sure what to make of the creature. The butterfly said that the neighbors were friendly. I hope that this is true. "And you are?"

"Bernard Edgar Telle." He bows and takes my hand, kissing it. I am surprised at his manners only having once ever before been kissed on the hand by a French gentleman many years back.

I blush pink and he notices.

His smile widens. "I saw you looking at my orange tree. You wouldn't be hungry now, would you?"

"Famished," I tell him quite truthfully.

"Then perhaps you would do me the favor of joining me for my afternoon tea?"

I instantly agree. "Oh, yes. Thank you."

"Then come along." He walks back to the tree I have come from and I follow him. It is then I remember that I cannot get to the top.

"Excuse me," I say to Mr. Telle. He turns to me. "But how will I get to the top?"

"Oh! Pardon me. You can't fly, can you?"

I shake my head, almost embarrassed by his observation.

"No fear. I shall carry you up myself."

"Is it safe?"

"No lady could be safer than with me," he assures me and I allow him to pick me up. He is a very strong beetle. He holds me gently with his front arms in a cradle-like fashion. "Here we go!" He takes off and at first, I close my eyes, but then open them again admiring the view.

We reach the branch moments later and the beetle walks along it until he comes to a small door in the trunk of the tree. He pops it open and brings me inside, setting me down on a comfortable couch made with leaves.

"Welcome to my humble abode!"

"It's lovely," I say, truly meaning it. I watch as he goes over to a kitchenette in the corner and puts a kettle on the stove for the tea. I decide to make small talk in order to use up the time. "How long have you lived here?"

"Only a couple of days," he says. "I'm a bachelor. I just recently left home to make my own way in this world."

I feel almost silly, remembering that a beetle's lifetime is much shorter than a human's. "Well, you picked a beautiful spot for a house."

"Do you really like it?"

I nod my head vigorously, "Yes, it's quite lovely."

"Thank you." He goes to a cupboard and places several things on a wooden tray. Then he comes over to me and sits beside me on the couch. "You can start with these," he tells me, motioning to the various snacks he has on the platter, he points to each and names them off one by one, "Sunflower seeds, mildew cakes, orange peel, lemon peel, blueberry…" I take a sunflower seed and nibble upon it. He takes part of the blueberry and does the same.

"So…" He leans back in his seat and looks over at me. "Where're you from?"

"I don't really have a set home," I tell him. "I travel."

"A traveler, eh?" He nods favorably and takes another bit of the blueberry. "Do you have any family?"

"I used to have a mother."

"A boyfriend?"

"I'm not sure if I understand what you're asking."

He swallows his bite of berry and turns to me. "You know, a lover. A potential husband."

Now understanding, I shake my head. "Mama wouldn't allow it."

He nods. "Smart mother."

I don't ask him to explain himself, not finding the need. I eat more of the sunflower seed. It is very delicious.

"So, what brings you to Nomel Lake?"

"I drifted here, down the river. I nearly drowned."

"I'm glad you didn't!"

"So am I."

"Do you plan on staying on?"

"Here?"

"Yes."

I think for a moment and then answer. "I am not sure."

"What's the matter? Don't you like it here?"

"Oh, but of course. It is very lovely. But I am not at all sure that I would be happy."

"Miss your mother, eh?"

I think about it for a while and then shake my head. "No. Not so much now. She actually wasn't really my mother."

"Stepmother?"

"In a sense. She found me when I was a baby."

He nods.

I quiet then, not at all certain why I am telling him all this, but finding that he is an extremely easy person to talk to and, as far as beetles went, he was actually kind of handsome.

A chime suddenly sounds and Mr. Telle is instantly out of his seat. "Oh! That must be my other guests!" He rushes to the door.

_Guests?_ I peer around the top of the couch and watch as he greets two ladybeetles at the door.

"Come in, ladies. Come in. I just put the kettle on. Tea should be done any minute."

Both of them enter and the first removes a stylish flower from her head, placing it on a nearby hat tree. "Mr. Dragonfly mentioned that he saw you with a girl earlier," she says and looks to beetle.

"A girl, really?" replies Mr. Telle.

"Don't lie to me, Bernard. I know when I smell a rat."

I duck down just as she looks in my direction.

"What was that over there? Is someone on your couch, Bernard?"

I am afraid. I do not like the ladybeetle with the flower.

Mr. Telle speaks, "Just another tea guest, I assure you."

The second ladybeetle speaks up, "Well, Bernie, don't be rude. Introduce us."

"Of course. Rianna?"

I cautiously look around the couch again.

"Come here. There are two very classy ladies I'd like you to meet."

The first ladybeetle giggles, "Oh, Bernard! You flatter me so!"

I timidly approach the three insects.

Mr. Tulle smiles at me, "Here we are. Gertrude and Prudence? I'd like you to meet my new… friend, Rianna."

Both the ladybug's eyes grow big and I know they are holding back unkind words. I wonder what the problem is. Do I look alright? I look down at my dress.

"I-It is very nice to meet you, Rianna," says the second ladybeetle. "My name is Prudence, but you may call me Prudy, if you'd like."

I nod politely.

"And this is Gertrude. Or Trudy, as we call her. Please forgive her silence. She is only shocked. We have never seen a little human before."

I nod again. I have a feeling that both Prudence and Gertrude are not happy to see me, but I know it would be rude if I were to suddenly leave.

"Well, should we all take our seats?"

"Of course." Prudy follows me over to the couch. I glance over my shoulder to see Gertrude whispering something to Mr. Telle.

I catch a few of her words:

"Is that your new flame, Bernard?"

"Yes, isn't she a knock out?"

"She's hideous! You'll be a disgrace in all Beetle society if you keep her around!"

I think about her words. _Ugly? Me?_ I suddenly feel very self-conscious. I wonder why I am ugly? Meredith had always said that I was beautiful.

"So, Rianna," Prudy addresses me and I look to her. She has helped herself to the mildew. "How long have you been staying with Mr. Telle?"

"I just arrived today," I tell her.

Mr. Tulle and Gertrude join us.

"The tea, Bernard?"

"Oh yes, of course."

Soon, I am enveloped in friendly conversation as we (me and the three beetles) are drinking tea and enjoying each other's company. I notice that neither Gertrude nor Prudy look at me very much, and remember that I am ugly.

At half-past two, they finally leave and I help Mr. Telle clean up the soiled plates and teacups.

"Well, what did you think of our guests?" he asks me.

I try to form the right words in my head. "They are very nice," I say.

"The richest and classiest single women around the lake."

I only nod, not feeling much like talking about the two ladybeetles.

"So…" He stretches his antennae. "It is still very early. What should we do to fill the rest of our day?"

I think hard. What would be a practical use? "Perhaps you can help me find a place to build a house?"

"I could," he says.

"Will you?" I ask.

He finishes putting away all the items leftover from our afternoon tea before he answers me. "I guess…" he says, taking one last chunk of the blue berry. "I just thought you might consider staying with me?"

"Oh, I couldn't do that!" I think instantly of the ladybug's comment.

"Sure you can."

"But your neighbors wouldn't approve. What about the society?"

He laughs then. "You heard all that?"

I am ashamed that he knows I had been eavesdropping. I hang my head in disgrace.

He only laughs harder. "Oh, Rianna! You needn't be concerned what the other beetles think of you, or me, or anyone else! I'm not thought of highly in that society anyways."

I don't ask why. I figure that is his business. "House scouting?" I ask again.

"Alright," he nods. "But after supper."


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six**

We start our search where I left off, at the base of Mr. Telle's tree. I walk and he walks with me, waving at all the shocked insects as we past.

"Good morning! How are you today? Is that a new jacket? Lookin' good, girls."

His familiarity with everyone puzzles me so after a long string of his pleasantries, I finally turn to him and ask curiously, "Do you know everyone on this lake?"

Mr. Telle grins. "Not everybody, but I know a good few."

"I see."

We stop to rest at the stalk of a tall sunflower minutes later. I take a seat on a small stone and he sits beside me. "Mr. Telle," I say, full of questions, "What exactly does one look for when deciding where to build a house?"

He fans himself with his hat and then looks to me. "Oh, a number of things, Rianna." He breathes, "A view, sturdy soil, good neighbors, excellent rain coverage…"

I nod again and watch as more busy insects pass by us. "Is it so difficult to decide?"

"Depends on the season." He rises to his feet, "Are we ready to continue?"

I nod and take the arm he offers me. We travel farther into the sunflower fields, looking around for a suitable piece of land. I soon grow weary and hopeless. I see nothing that I want and the thought of building a house at all is tiring. I soon ask to rest again and we find another stone to sit on.

"Perhaps we should head back?" Mr. Telle suggests gently.

I notice that the sky is beginning to darken and nod my head. I didn't realize we had been out so long. "Just let me catch my breath-oh!" I cry out just as I see a lump of feathers not far away.

"Rianna?"

I instantly get to my feet and rush over to the heap.

"Rianna!" Mr. Telle calls after me, but I ignore his calls.

I soon reach the feathery mass. It is a swallow. His eyes are closed and he is lying very still. I timidly reach out to stroke his side.

"Rianna!" Mr. Telle grabs my arm and pulls me back. "No, no, my girl! You wouldn't want to touch it. It is dead! It could be diseased."

I stare at the swallow as he pulls me away. I don't believe that he is dead and I feel a desperate need in my heart to help him. Mr. Telle holds me back.

"Leave him be, Rianna. Please. It's for the best," he says. "Here, it is getting late. We can head back to my cottage for supper and then I will set you up in my guest room for the night."

"But…" My words are lost in the wind as the beetle gently takes me into his arms and takes flight, carrying me farther and farther away from the injured bird. I take note of the location and vow to return later that night with a blanket and some food.

…

We eat a small dinner that night of blueberry and honey. Mr. Telle then sends me to bed and tucks me into the comfy guest room in his modest abode.

"Sleep now. We will go out looking for more places tomorrow," he promises me and smiles. He always seems to smile at me I notice. I wonder why other insects do not smile at me the way he does. I then think back to the swallow.

"Mr. Telle?" I say as he reaches the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Are you quite sure that bird was dead?"

"Oh, quite sure. You should stay away from dead things. They carry diseases that can make you sick. Goodnight."

I can tell he doesn't want to talk about it anymore so I don't reply, but then, another question enters my brain. "Mr. Telle?"

"Rianna?"

"Miss Gertrude said that I am ugly. Is that true?"

His face softens and he comes to me then, sitting in the rocking chair on my bedside. "You heard that?"

I nod.

He sighs despondently. "Well, let me tell you something, Rianna. Beauty is purely in the eye of the beholder and in Gertrude's eyes, you are not lovely."

I nod. I suppose it makes sense. Mother thinks I am beautiful and Miss Gertrude thinks that I am not. "What do you think?"

He smiles again. "I think you are beautiful," he tells me and then stands to go to the door. "Goodnight, Rianna."

"Goodnight." His words are comforting, but still I know that I need to get away from here. _I cannot stay with Mr. Telle. His friends think I am ugly. It'll only hurt him and I most certainly do not want that. Especially since he has been so kind to me._

I turn onto my side and pull my knees to my chest. _Oh how I wish I were big again._ But then I remember the bird and I remember that I want to help him. _Hold in there, dear swallow. I shall return to you. _And with that final thought in mind, I fall asleep.


End file.
